Jupiter is presently in the sign of Capricorn, which means he is visible in the constellation of Sagittarius. He appears these days as the brightest object in the southern sky before dawn. Jupiter entered Capricorn in December last year, and remains there until January next year.

My mnemonic for Capricorn is “Finder of the Summit”. Capricorn is motivated to succeed, to be honored and acknowledged, to be deemed worthy – and is willing to endure a long hard climb to achieve that success. Astrologers often focus on Capricorn’s nature in terms of career, but this need not be where its energy finds expression. My mother, for example, had a Capricorn sun but showed little interest in her work life. Instead, her drive to succeed and be acknowledged expressed itself in her work caring for her family. Capricorn is an earth sign, so its focus is mainly pragmatic; Capricorn measures its success in terms of tangible results and rewards.

Jupiter is a capable wielder of Capricorn energy, if not necessarily enthusiastic about the job. He would rather have more opportunities to travel and play than Capricorn can give him, but he can easily relate to Capricorn’s “king of the mountain” ambition. He does, after all, have a throne on Olympus.

For those of us who can connect with Jupiter’s energy in 2008, he provides important opportunities for success and recognition. These may take the form of a career move, earning the respect of your peers in a community organization, or attracting attention in a creative or recreational endeavor. Such gifts are especially welcome this year, as they give Saturn in Virgo something to work with: expansion and restriction, both in Earth signs, keeping a kind of dynamic balance between growth and discipline. Their best work together was in the early months of this year, when they were in close aspect, but they will continue to complement each other’s efforts, in understated ways, throughout the year.

Jupiter’s opportunities will be most easily available to those who have planets in Earth signs (Taurus, Virgo, and of course Capricorn itself). Those with planets in the other cardinal signs (Aries, Cancer, and Libra) will also be handed some opportunities, but are likely to feel more conflicted about them.

Jupiter can be a great help to us this year, in building our reputations and moving us toward a goal of security in our finances or personal situation. Those of us who take advantage of Jupiter’s gifts may find ourselves on a higher plateau at the end of the year.

The challenge is that of processing these opportunities effectively. We need to remember that not everything that presents itself will manifest fully. For that, we need some of Saturn’s dedication and attention to follow-through. One of Jupiter’s faults is being too optimistic, counting the chickens before they hatch. We need to focus on one or two of the unexpected bonuses Jupiter drops in our lap this year, and carry it through with care, rather than taking success for granted.

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[…] his efforts to bestow some leadership opportunities for us can be helpful. (See my post on Jupiter in Capricorn.) Jupiter would like to see us with the tools and resources we need to accomplish something in the […]